Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

October 8, 2008 -

With Fallout 3 launching later this month, Bethesda has placed ads for its post-apocalyptic adventure in the Metro Center station of Washington's D.C.'s subway system.

Some riders don't quite know what to make of the marketing campaign. digital metropolis reports:

In the four minutes I had to waste while waiting for the metro to come, I counted 37 people walk by, stop, and stare at this ad. For those who don’t know, Fallout 3 takes place in a post-apocalyptic DC, and word on the street is that you can play down in the metro tunnels in addition to roaming the streets...

Anyway, metro riders were transfixed by this ad. Unlike the “Fred, your ass is looking fat” hippo posters or the metro etiquette ads, the crumbling Washington Monument and mutated American flag caught a lot of eyes, and people STARED. Like, legit stared...

Meanwhile, Mike Musgrove of the Washington Post offers his own account:

Don't get too freaked out, commuters: It's just a video game.

Local game studio Bethesda Softworks has blanketed the advertising space in downtown's Metro Center Metrorail station with some dark and kinda disturbing images of DC landmarks, such as a bombed-out-looking Capitol building and Washington Monument, lifted from its upcoming game title Fallout 3.

Joystiq has more, including a photo gallery.

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Comments

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by CyberSkull on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 20:07.

I love it. I'm waiting for the first idiot to cite this as anti-American propaganda.

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Xveers on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 15:31.

Agreed on that. It's quite a cunning marketing campaign. The fact that the Washington Post saw fit to mention it says something to how mainstream things are nowadays....

Best keep your wits about you: The gears of life are always spinning, and ignorance eventually means you'll get caught in them.

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Bennett Beeny on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 22:14.

Hmmm. Freaky subway ads. Slow news day I guess. Next GP will be saying that the new Super Mario game is provoking 'stares' in DC. I realise that sometimes there's little to report, but surely we can handle a couple fewer news stories on the really slow days.

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Father Time on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 09:49.

Well to be fair if the Washington Post and the digital metropolis (whatever that is) took time away to cover these I think kinda qualifies it as being newsworthy here.

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Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by DeepThorn on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 22:13.

Yes, this is what your next stop now looks like. Good luck, and watch out for the zombies.

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Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Nocturne on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 06:17.

Just like the London underground!

Good adverts.

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Zero Beat on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 21:32.

Well, their marketing campaign is a success. Good on the newspapers for not freaking out.

"That's not ironic. That's justice."

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Erik on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 19:52.

Oh hey, its that censored game.

-Ultimately what will do in mankind is a person's fear of their own freedom-

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Awol on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 18:11.

Guess I will be taking a trip on the metro this weekend to check it out.

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Kajex on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 18:02.

I played the fist and second Fallout games in 2002, well after they were released, and I loved them. And I recently got my hands on Fallout Tactics, which maintains the spirit of the game (even if it's not canon).

As someone who has had his soul dominated by Oblivion and Fallout... I can't wait.

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Hitodama on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 17:58.

Fukkin Awesome

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 17:38.

Meh..I am only interested in how it plays as I do not care for the direction they took Falblioin in...

I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
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Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Override367 on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 15:41.

Sounds like they are accomplishing exactly what they wanted to with these ads

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by GrimCW on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 15:38.

what no ones gonna call the cops like they did for a buncha light bright ads in boston when the aqua teen movie was on its way out?

dang, maybe people figured out that ads are just ads! wow...

honestly though wish i could see that thing in person...

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Kris on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 21:40.

Well to be fair, unless you've actually seen ATHF, you'd have no idea what those things were.

These ads, however, clearly show that they're for a video game; the name of the game is plastered pretty largely on each ad. So even if you don't know that Fallout 3 is a video game, since there's a release date on there, it would be easy to assume it was some sort of media and not something to be scared of.

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by gamegod25 on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 16:48.

I know right. That was unbelievable that people would get so worked up about a bunch of ads. I could understand being confused and even considering terrorists for a millisecond, but then you'd actually think and realise that terrorists dont have a sense of humor! What, did snidely whiplash join al-qaeda?

Aherm sorry for the rant. That kind of stupidity just pisses me off. Anyway good to see the people in DC taking it all in stride.

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Geoff on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 15:19.

That's pretty cool. Though with the sudden media attention I'm wondering how long it'll be before someone complains and makes a big stink over the whole thing.

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Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 15:15.

That is freaking awesome. I so look forward to this game.

E. Zachary Knight
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Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Nocturne on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 02:54.

I'm looking forwards to '50s style metal lunchbox the collectors edition comes in.... no i've no idea why either other than it's shiny

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by sqlrob on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 09:24.

I had the 360 version preordered just for that.

Before I had a 360.

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by VideolandHero on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 15:12.

I'm glad nobody is getting offended and taking these ads down.

--- Official Protector of Videoland!

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by MrKlorox on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 19:23.

Just you wait.

Re: Fallout 3 Ads Freak Out DC Metro Riders

Submitted by Mr. Stodern on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 15:06.

Very well done on Bethesda's marketing department. Very well done.

I'm really looking forward to this game, too.

Shout box

Technogeek: If the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am

Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm

Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm

Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm

Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm

Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm

Wonderkarp: Zippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm

Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm

Monte: We have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm

ZippyDSMlee: Wonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm

MaskedPixelante: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm

Matthew Wilson: the sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm

MechaTama31: So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am

Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am

quiknkold: and we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: The whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: I thought it was a good article. Jeff is right. I feel like GamerGate did destroy its message. I am for Ethics in game journalism, but man. so much hate. and its on both sides. I've seen some awful stuff spewed on twitter. Its a big reason why I exited..10/17/2014 - 7:34pm

Matthew Wilson: while he focused on gg, he did call out both sides crap.10/17/2014 - 7:18pm

Papa Midnight: That was a damn good read offered by Jeff Gertsmann.10/17/2014 - 7:17pm

Matthew Wilson: http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/letter-from-the-editor-10-17-2014/1100-5049/ deferentially a nice write up.10/17/2014 - 6:44pm

All shouts

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